redmid17:praxcelis: I'm curious how these cases of supposed fraud a detected. Do they follow folks around to eyeball their lifestyle? Or do they conduct random audits (which would be of dubious legality) of subscribers? Just looking at some random Joe on the street talking on their phone, how do you know it's a Lifeline phone?

/There's an idea. Make the Lifeline phones ugly. I'm talking back-in-the-day brick phone ugly. A scammer wouldn't be caught dead with one

Audits on a publicly funded and provided phone as being of dubious legality? I can't wait to hear what you think about Section 8 housing evicting family members who let criminals stay with them.

I should narrow that down to a family member who commits crime while living/stay with them in the Section 8 housing. That would be a huge breach otherwise if released felons had that kind of chain around their neck, figuratively speaking.

Doctor Funkenstein:Corvus: Doctor Funkenstein: FTFA: The program was created during the Reagan Administration and expanded in 2005 to cover mobile phones.

So, naturally, they're called 'Obamaphones' by the baggers.

I pointed out the fact above to some teaparty nut and he said he already knew that but he said that was no reason to stop calling them "Obamaphones"

I've had pretty much the same conversation with self professed conservatives before. There really isn't anything you can say to those people that can bring out a reasoned response on any subject. Many of them can't even be engaged in any subject without devolving into nonsensical right wing talking points. Not all that long ago at work, a few of us were in the break room during lunch. I asked one girl if she could pass me the ketchup. She picked up the Heinz bottle and, with a huge shiat-eating grin, announced "Look, one for each state!" while pointing at the 57 varieties label. How the fark do you respond to something like that?

Or big, fat conservative tards who "know a guy who knows a guy" who gets his Obamaphone for free when he doesn't really need it?

Here is the program

Do they really think that many people are going through the trouble of falsifying the info they need to get a phone with 1000 text and 250 minutes on it? I would like to see this report and the evidence that their is actual fraud and not some guy claiming he saw some lady in a Cadillac on 24 inch rims talking on a Lifeline phone.

and it's not like they get both, 1000 texts AND 250 mins. Depending on which plan they sign up for, it's 68 mins/mo, 125 mins/mo or 250 mins/mo. Text messaging uses uses minutes from that pool, not 'free in addition to' that minute pool. And unlike most standard cell plans, minutes are used for incoming call waiting calls, calls to voicemail, busy/no answer calls. That can burn a lot of time right there.

Depends on the county, but most places, yes. Wine too. And you could always get it in bars. They preferred for people, after buying drinks, to get drunk and drive home rather than reverse the order.

But that's now. During my formative drinking years, the restrictions led to the term "Sunday beer". As in, "Hey, I found some more Newcastle at the back. Can I have one?" "Have a Budweiser instead. The Newcastle is my Sunday beer."

praxcelis:I'm curious how these cases of supposed fraud a detected. Do they follow folks around to eyeball their lifestyle? Or do they conduct random audits (which would be of dubious legality) of subscribers? Just looking at some random Joe on the street talking on their phone, how do you know it's a Lifeline phone?

/There's an idea. Make the Lifeline phones ugly. I'm talking back-in-the-day brick phone ugly. A scammer wouldn't be caught dead with one

Guys, the only reason we have poor people is because we make life too easy on the poor. Georgia's Republicans are just trying to encourage the poor to stop being poor because, if we make poverty hard, no one will want to be poor.

As a matter of fact, I think we should help Georgia's elected officials do an even better job with this. I think that all the people responsible for this new charge to the poor should find out about the other luxuries that the poor experience. For a period of two months, all of these politicians should get paid minimum wage for their jobs. Let's freeze their bank accounts and have them spend the entire two months in government-subsidized housing. Their families should live there, too, to get the full experience of how easy life is for the poor. No insurance. No cars (or maybe the state could get a fleet of cars from the 1990s that are in bad repair), these officials should experience the sheer extravagance of public transportation for work and shopping Oh, and how easy will it be to shop with the generous SNAP allotment the state gives to the poor!

After two months of living like those lucky-duckies, the Georgia legislature will know all about how easy the poor have it.

Corvus:Doctor Funkenstein: FTFA: The program was created during the Reagan Administration and expanded in 2005 to cover mobile phones.

So, naturally, they're called 'Obamaphones' by the baggers.

I pointed out the fact above to some teaparty nut and he said he already knew that but he said that was no reason to stop calling them "Obamaphones"

I now several poor people that call them "Obamaphones" as well. In fact I was in the mall the other day and over heard a group of fine young upstanding men going on about how they "just got dis' obamaphone and can now sell dat other phone for weed".

Or big, fat conservative tards who "know a guy who knows a guy" who gets his Obamaphone for free when he doesn't really need it?

Here is the program

Do they really think that many people are going through the trouble of falsifying the info they need to get a phone with 1000 text and 250 minutes on it? I would like to see this report and the evidence that their is actual fraud and not some guy claiming he saw some lady in a Cadillac on 24 inch rims talking on a Lifeline phone.

It's real hard to find the report. Not like it's available online or anything. Definitely not going to find a summary with explanations or other relevant links.

The FCC is apparently pretty concerned by this. I don't think Georgia is doing something smart, effective, or advisable, but they are doing it for a reason.

And the way those reports frame it, it isn't fraud. It seems to be the carriers, not fully understanding the rules of the program, giving service to people that are ineligible. For example giving more than one phone to a single household without making sure each person is financially independent of the other. That isn't fraud, that is just not having a full understanding of the rules, and that can fall on the FCC for not clearly explaining that to the carriers and the receivers of the service.

Witty_Retort:FTFA:The controversial decision comes after reports of fraud and abuse in the federal cellphone program, called Lifeline. The program was created during the Reagan Administration and expanded in 2005 to cover mobile phones.

That looks dangerously like facts. Will the AJC be punished?

The AJC is already the pinkest pinko commie rag that ever commie ragged. Our last Governor started a public spat over the paper being too negative toward the Georgia Bulldogs. I'm not making this up. An elected state executive called a press conference to denounce football coverage of his favorite team.

Or big, fat conservative tards who "know a guy who knows a guy" who gets his Obamaphone for free when he doesn't really need it?

Here is the program

Do they really think that many people are going through the trouble of falsifying the info they need to get a phone with 1000 text and 250 minutes on it? I would like to see this report and the evidence that their is actual fraud and not some guy claiming he saw some lady in a Cadillac on 24 inch rims talking on a Lifeline phone.

It's real hard to find the report. Not like it's available online or anything. Definitely not going to find a summary with explanations or other relevant links.

The FCC is apparently pretty concerned by this. I don't think Georgia is doing something smart, effective, or advisable, but they are doing it for a reason.

And the way those reports frame it, it isn't fraud. It seems to be the carriers, not fully understanding the rules of the program, giving service to people that are ineligible. For example giving more than one phone to a single household without making sure each person is financially independent of the other. That isn't fraud, that is just not having a full understanding of the rules, and that can fall on the FCC for not clearly explaining that to the carriers and the receivers of the service.

I mean if people are doing it willfully with the knowledge they aren't eligible, well yeah it's fraud. That's pretty much the definition of fraud. That said, the FCC and telcos should be fixing this, not GA.

Trust me, Georgia is being punished for this and pretty much every other bad thing anyone can cite...and this punishment has been ongoing for nearly 50 years, and it continues to this day at wide-open throttle with no signs of slowing whatsoever.

Or big, fat conservative tards who "know a guy who knows a guy" who gets his Obamaphone for free when he doesn't really need it?

Here is the program

Do they really think that many people are going through the trouble of falsifying the info they need to get a phone with 1000 text and 250 minutes on it? I would like to see this report and the evidence that their is actual fraud and not some guy claiming he saw some lady in a Cadillac on 24 inch rims talking on a Lifeline phone.

It's real hard to find the report. Not like it's available online or anything. Definitely not going to find a summary with explanations or other relevant links.

The FCC is apparently pretty concerned by this. I don't think Georgia is doing something smart, effective, or advisable, but they are doing it for a reason.

And the way those reports frame it, it isn't fraud. It seems to be the carriers, not fully understanding the rules of the program, giving service to people that are ineligible. For example giving more than one phone to a single household without making sure each person is financially independent of the other. That isn't fraud, that is just not having a full understanding of the rules, and that can fall on the FCC for not clearly explaining that to the carriers and the receivers of the service.

I mean if people are doing it willfully with the knowledge they aren't eligible, well yeah it's fraud. That's pretty much the definition of fraud. That said, the FCC and telcos should be fixing this, not GA.

Georgia is out of their element.

If the rules aren't clear and they don't know and apply, then the carrier approves them under the plan because the rules weren't clear to them either, then it is not fraud, it is a problem with the rules needing to be clarified.

Or big, fat conservative tards who "know a guy who knows a guy" who gets his Obamaphone for free when he doesn't really need it?

Here is the program

Do they really think that many people are going through the trouble of falsifying the info they need to get a phone with 1000 text and 250 minutes on it? I would like to see this report and the evidence that their is actual fraud and not some guy claiming he saw some lady in a Cadillac on 24 inch rims talking on a Lifeline phone.

It's real hard to find the report. Not like it's available online or anything. Definitely not going to find a summary with explanations or other relevant links.

The FCC is apparently pretty concerned by this. I don't think Georgia is doing something smart, effective, or advisable, but they are doing it for a reason.

And the way those reports frame it, it isn't fraud. It seems to be the carriers, not fully understanding the rules of the program, giving service to people that are ineligible. For example giving more than one phone to a single household without making sure each person is financially independent of the other. That isn't fraud, that is just not having a full understanding of the rules, and that can fall on the FCC for not clearly explaining that to the carriers and the receivers of the service.

I mean if people are doing it willfully with the knowledge they aren't eligible, well yeah it's fraud. That's pretty much the definition of fraud. That said, the FCC and telcos should be fixing this, not GA.

Georgia is out of their element.

If the rules aren't clear and they don't know and apply, then the carrier approves them under the plan because the rules weren't clear to them either, then it is not fraud, it is a problem with the rules needing to be clarified.

Trust me, Georgia is being punished for this and pretty much every other bad thing anyone can cite...and this punishment has been ongoing for nearly 50 years, and it continues to this day at wide-open throttle with no signs of slowing whatsoever.

Rapmaster2000:The AJC is already the pinkest pinko commie rag that ever commie ragged. Our last Governor started a public spat over the paper being too negative toward the Georgia Bulldogs. I'm not making this up. An elected state executive called a press conference to denounce football coverage of his favorite team.

Not everyone in this state is a fan of the Bulldogs. Some of us not only hate and despise that team, we celebrate with every fiber of our being each and every time they lose.

Lionel Mandrake:That's just plain cruelty. It solves no problem, it serves no purpose - other than "you are poor, so f*ck you"

Is this that an example of that famous southern hospitality/Christian values I've heard so much about?

Its all about being poor and white and thinking that those poor blacks are getting things for free that you're not getting. The Republican Party platform isn't fark the poor. It's, "Hey poor people...look at that other poor person who is taking all of your money. Its not the bankers or the corporations that you have to worry about, its THAT guy."

DarkSoulNoHope:Lionel Mandrake: That's just plain cruelty. It solves no problem, it serves no purpose - other than "you are poor, so f*ck you"

Is this that an example of that famous southern hospitality/Christian values I've heard so much about?

When their religious values include this as a place of worship...

[theworthyadversary.com image 500x355][www.seeing-stars.com image 417x300]...as well as other megachurch examples, then their values include nothing that serve poor people. (Catholic church just bought this place for $57.5 million, they don't care about poor people either except as pretend "examples" of who they claim the collection plate money helps)

Places like that make me wonder if they ever actually read the Bible. Maybe they cannot comprehend it.

Trust me, Georgia is being punished for this and pretty much every other bad thing anyone can cite...and this punishment has been ongoing for nearly 50 years, and it continues to this day at wide-open throttle with no signs of slowing whatsoever.

We have the Braves, the Falcons, and the Hawks.

Those are all symptoms of the same thing.

I don't really understand the reply, but I will say if you think we're not being punished try being a fan of one of those teams.

praxcelis:I'm curious how these cases of supposed fraud a detected. Do they follow folks around to eyeball their lifestyle? Or do they conduct random audits (which would be of dubious legality) of subscribers? Just looking at some random Joe on the street talking on their phone, how do you know it's a Lifeline phone?

/There's an idea. Make the Lifeline phones ugly. I'm talking back-in-the-day brick phone ugly. A scammer wouldn't be caught dead with one

Other than them being older model phones, often from Tracfone, that retail for around $10-$20 you really can't tell. They're basic, no-frills phones.

The phones that people get through Lifeline are similar to what's pictured above.

Trust me, Georgia is being punished for this and pretty much every other bad thing anyone can cite...and this punishment has been ongoing for nearly 50 years, and it continues to this day at wide-open throttle with no signs of slowing whatsoever.

We have the Braves, the Falcons, and the Hawks.

Those are all symptoms of the same thing.

I don't really understand the reply, but I will say if you think we're not being punished try being a fan of one of those teams.

/Cleveland comes close in terms of disappointment

Cleveland and San Diego have zero national championships in the "big four" pro sports in the modern era (since the formation of the NFL).

coeyagi:Zeb Hesselgresser: Corvus: Doctor Funkenstein: FTFA: The program was created during the Reagan Administration and expanded in 2005 to cover mobile phones.

So, naturally, they're called 'Obamaphones' by the baggers.

I pointed out the fact above to some teaparty nut and he said he already knew that but he said that was no reason to stop calling them "Obamaphones"

[duanegraham.files.wordpress.com image 647x586]

Did the Tea Party borrow Obama's time machine?

One retarded person vs. an entire political movement consisting of retarded persons.

You wanna try again or just step out of the batter box in shame?

Are you kidding? He just opened the door for finding a single anecdotal jackass and using them to represent an entire movement. And he's doing it in support of the TEA PARTY. How can you not want to allow it for sheer entertainment purposes?

lennavan:coeyagi: Zeb Hesselgresser: Corvus: Doctor Funkenstein: FTFA: The program was created during the Reagan Administration and expanded in 2005 to cover mobile phones.

So, naturally, they're called 'Obamaphones' by the baggers.

I pointed out the fact above to some teaparty nut and he said he already knew that but he said that was no reason to stop calling them "Obamaphones"

[duanegraham.files.wordpress.com image 647x586]

Did the Tea Party borrow Obama's time machine?

One retarded person vs. an entire political movement consisting of retarded persons.

You wanna try again or just step out of the batter box in shame?

Are you kidding? He just opened the door for finding a single anecdotal jackass and using them to represent an entire movement. And he's doing it in support of the TEA PARTY. How can you not want to allow it for sheer entertainment purposes?

True.

Hey, Zeb... here's a picture. Now please use this to make another broad generalization.. for the lulz.

Lionel Mandrake:That's just plain cruelty. It solves no problem, it serves no purpose - other than "you are poor, so f*ck you"

Is this that an example of that famous southern hospitality/Christian values I've heard so much about?

Yes, actually. Southern Hospitality is offered to people one has invited. No one invited the poor. Christian values should be self-explanatory, if you've ever observed the behavior of Christians as opposed to their talk.

Bathia_Mapes:praxcelis: I'm curious how these cases of supposed fraud a detected. Do they follow folks around to eyeball their lifestyle? Or do they conduct random audits (which would be of dubious legality) of subscribers? Just looking at some random Joe on the street talking on their phone, how do you know it's a Lifeline phone?

/There's an idea. Make the Lifeline phones ugly. I'm talking back-in-the-day brick phone ugly. A scammer wouldn't be caught dead with one

Other than them being older model phones, often from Tracfone, that retail for around $10-$20 you really can't tell. They're basic, no-frills phones.

[blogs.trb.com image 450x419]The phones that people get through Lifeline are similar to what's pictured above.

People that call it an Obamaphone all believe and spread the story that the people on the program are all getting IPhones and top of the line Smart Phones with unlimited service plans.

Not to blame the victim, but there are a lot more poor people than middle-class or wealthy people. And this is a democracy. Most of the people being affected by this and other anti-poor laws are either too lazy to vote their interests or actively voting against their interests on a pretty regular basis.

praxcelis:I'm curious how these cases of supposed fraud a detected. Do they follow folks around to eyeball their lifestyle? Or do they conduct random audits (which would be of dubious legality) of subscribers? Just looking at some random Joe on the street talking on their phone, how do you know it's a Lifeline phone?

/There's an idea. Make the Lifeline phones ugly. I'm talking back-in-the-day brick phone ugly. A scammer wouldn't be caught dead with one

Form what I have seen the big is is people getting 5-6 of the lifeline SIM cards then putting them into iPhones swapping out when the card runs out.

Read your cell phone contract, when I got a discount from my employer one of the things in the fine print was that in order to get the 30% off my employer has full access to my phone records at any time. Including but not limited to numbers called to and from, text message numbers but not the content of the text message, meta data including the imei number of the phones used for each call, location service information. I can see the lifeline haveing the same type of restrictions so just check the imei number for the phones if you see the same phone being used on multiple SIM cards lock it just like they do when someone puts a sim in a stolen phone and the issue fixes itself

cardex:praxcelis: I'm curious how these cases of supposed fraud a detected. Do they follow folks around to eyeball their lifestyle? Or do they conduct random audits (which would be of dubious legality) of subscribers? Just looking at some random Joe on the street talking on their phone, how do you know it's a Lifeline phone?

/There's an idea. Make the Lifeline phones ugly. I'm talking back-in-the-day brick phone ugly. A scammer wouldn't be caught dead with one

Form what I have seen the big is is people getting 5-6 of the lifeline SIM cards then putting them into iPhones swapping out when the card runs out.

Read your cell phone contract, when I got a discount from my employer one of the things in the fine print was that in order to get the 30% off my employer has full access to my phone records at any time. Including but not limited to numbers called to and from, text message numbers but not the content of the text message, meta data including the imei number of the phones used for each call, location service information. I can see the lifeline haveing the same type of restrictions so just check the imei number for the phones if you see the same phone being used on multiple SIM cards lock it just like they do when someone puts a sim in a stolen phone and the issue fixes itself

Your employer sucks. I get 20% off just because I have an email account that ends in mycompany.com. Only if it's a company PROVIDED cell phone do they enforce anything close to what you describe. And it's not even really close, or that draconian. But you do have to deal with having AirWatch on your phone. Which is why I won't do it. And they can remotely wipe your phone.

But for my personal phone, they have no access to the information. None, Nada, Zilch, Zippo.

Doctor Funkenstein:Corvus: Doctor Funkenstein: FTFA: The program was created during the Reagan Administration and expanded in 2005 to cover mobile phones.

So, naturally, they're called 'Obamaphones' by the baggers.

I pointed out the fact above to some teaparty nut and he said he already knew that but he said that was no reason to stop calling them "Obamaphones"

I've had pretty much the same conversation with self professed conservatives before. There really isn't anything you can say to those people that can bring out a reasoned response on any subject. Many of them can't even be engaged in any subject without devolving into nonsensical right wing talking points. Not all that long ago at work, a few of us were in the break room during lunch. I asked one girl if she could pass me the ketchup. She picked up the Heinz bottle and, with a huge shiat-eating grin, announced "Look, one for each state!" while pointing at the 57 varieties label. How the fark do you respond to something like that?

You squirt ketchup on your food and say "I'm putting food on my family. Let's hear your next one. I have about 500 to go."

coeyagi:lennavan: coeyagi: Zeb Hesselgresser: Corvus: Doctor Funkenstein: FTFA: The program was created during the Reagan Administration and expanded in 2005 to cover mobile phones.

So, naturally, they're called 'Obamaphones' by the baggers.

I pointed out the fact above to some teaparty nut and he said he already knew that but he said that was no reason to stop calling them "Obamaphones"

[duanegraham.files.wordpress.com image 647x586]

Did the Tea Party borrow Obama's time machine?

One retarded person vs. an entire political movement consisting of retarded persons.

You wanna try again or just step out of the batter box in shame?

Are you kidding? He just opened the door for finding a single anecdotal jackass and using them to represent an entire movement. And he's doing it in support of the TEA PARTY. How can you not want to allow it for sheer entertainment purposes?

True.

Hey, Zeb... here's a picture. Now please use this to make another broad generalization.. for the lulz.

Aren't those the same guys who were shown on Fox News opening the door and helping a little, old white lady in?

The Name:Not to blame the victim, but there are a lot more poor people than middle-class or wealthy people. And this is a democracy. Most of the people being affected by this and other anti-poor laws are either too lazy to vote their interests or actively voting against their interests on a pretty regular basis.

Or their district has been consolidated 50 miles away in bumfark egypt.

Or they can't get to DMV to get an ID because they can't get off work.

Or the local GOP dumbass has shut down weekend early voting that they COULD get to.

Or the polling place has been moved as far from public transport as possible.

Or Rick Scott has purged them because their name was 5 characters away from someone released from prison five years ago.

Benevolent Misanthrope:Yes, actually. Southern Hospitality is offered to people one has invited. No one invited the poor. Christian values should be self-explanatory, if you've ever observed the behavior of Christians as opposed to their talk.

Matthew 22:36-40New International Version (NIV)36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"37Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+22%3A36-40 &version =NIV#fen-NIV-23910a" title="See footnote a">a]38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+22%3A3 6-40&version =NIV#fen-NIV-23912b" title="See footnote b">b]40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

d23:Benevolent Misanthrope: Yes, actually. Southern Hospitality is offered to people one has invited. No one invited the poor. Christian values should be self-explanatory, if you've ever observed the behavior of Christians as opposed to their talk.

Matthew 22:36-40New International Version (NIV)36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"37Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+22%3A36-40 &version =NIV#fen-NIV-23910a" title="See footnote a">a]38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+22%3A3 6-40&version =NIV#fen-NIV-23912b" title="See footnote b">b]40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

d23:The Name: Not to blame the victim, but there are a lot more poor people than middle-class or wealthy people. And this is a democracy. Most of the people being affected by this and other anti-poor laws are either too lazy to vote their interests or actively voting against their interests on a pretty regular basis.

Or their district has been consolidated 50 miles away in bumfark egypt.

Or they can't get to DMV to get an ID because they can't get off work.

Or the local GOP dumbass has shut down weekend early voting that they COULD get to.

Or the polling place has been moved as far from public transport as possible.

Or Rick Scott has purged them because their name was 5 characters away from someone released from prison five years ago.

Or.. or... or...

Requiring ID is just the tip of the iceberg.

You've got to couple it with the economic plan of making sure the poor stay poor by cutting off any potential rungs from the bottom of the ladder of opportunity, and widening the income gap so the middle class falls into the lower class. The rich stay rich and no one else can become rich.

TV's Vinnie:This is blatantly and very obviously a "poor tax". If this actually survives through the courts, then the Default may as well happen because this country needs to be burned to the ground.

There's nothing illegal about a poor tax. Wildly immoral sure, but nothing against the law about targeting taxes at the poor. The GOP have all sorts of taxes aimed at the poor going on around the country, with plenty of tax breaks for the wealthy.